Feed water heater for locomotives



March 28, 1933. w. PARKS FEED WATER HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 3, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Imf W March 28, 1933. w PARKS FEED WATER HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 3, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 28, 1933. w iq s 1,902,969

FEED WATER HEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVES 7 Filed June 5, 1929 s Shets-Sheet 3 Al r like Patented Mar. 28, 1933 W LTER PARKS, or DENVER, COLORADO I FEED WATER HEATER. non LoooMo'rIvns Application filed June 3, 1929. Serial No. 368,048;

This invention relates to locomotive boilor feed water heaters utilizing exhaust steam from the engine cylinders or elsewhere for heating the water before it is introduced into the boiler. r

A primary object of the invention is to provide certain novel and'improved devices and arrangements for bringing the exhaust steam directly into contact with the water to be heated whereby the heat in the exhaust steam is used most effectively and economically and whereby water is conserved.

A further object is to provide a simple and reliable control mechanism for regulating the amount of steam injected into the water so as to heat the water to such temperature as may be desired, preferably, to a temperature slightly below the boiling point; the invention contemplating, preferably, a thermostat for this purpose in the water tank, for example in the water tank usually located on the locomotive tender, for actuating a pneumatic controlling device on the locomotive itself for governing the flow of exhaust steam to the water tank. 7

A further object is to provide means for venting excess of exhaust'steam to the locomotive smokestack.

A further object is to provide a thermostatic element of new and improved construction for use in the aforesaid controlling mechanism.

A further object is to provide means for introducing the exhaust steam into the water tank or compartment in which the water is heated whereby eflicient circulation and uniform water temperature is maintained throughout such tank or compartment;

whereby the introduction of the exhauststeam thereto is assured at low engine back pressure; and whereby the possibility of water being drawn into the engine cylinders when the locomotive is drifting iseliminated.

Other incidental objects will be referred to in the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a locomotive and tender, withcertain parts in section, provided withthe feed water heat I er ofthisinvention. I

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the valve or controlling device located on the 10 comotive showing the valves in position to admit exhaust steam to the water in the water tank on the tender.

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the same device with the valves in position to shut off exhaust steam fromwthe .water tank 90 and direct the excess exhaust steam, if any, to the locomotive smokestack. h 'Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the water tank on the tender and of the controlling device associated withthis tank. 7 i h a Fig. 5 is a'vertical sectional view of the capsule or flexible diaphragm constituting the thermostaticgelement of the controlling 7o device onlthe tender; and 1 Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view, with the scaleenlarged,.on line 6+6 of Fig; 4.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the locomotive and B the tender, the latter being provided with a water tank divided,

as will be described, into a cold waterv com partment C, and a hot water compartment E is a controlling deviceon the locomotive, operated, preferably,by compressed air and functioning to govern the injection of' exhaust steam into the hot water compartment D of the water tank, the controlling device receiving exhaust steameither from the air compressor F ,or from the valve chamber Gr of the locomotive cylinders, or from any other-source. H is a thermostaticallyactu ated controlling device on the tender which controls the compressed air flow to thecons troller E in accordance with temperature 9Q changes of the water in the hot water compartment D; and J is a feed water injector, of any desired type for injecting the water heated in tank D into the boiler K of the loco motive. 7

The construction of the operative elements of the feed water heating apparatus enumerated above and their connections will now be described.

The hot water compartmentD of the water 1- at the lower edge of the partition. Exhaust steam is introduced into the compartment D at a fixed distance below the water level by a hinged float controllednozzle 14 connected with the exhaust steam line 15 which extends from the controller E on the locomotive and may be provided with any suitable hose coupling, the details of which are not shown. Secured to the bottom plate of compartment D is an outlet casting 16 to which is connected a feed water pipe 17 extending to'the injector J. Any suitable means may be employed for injecting the hot water into boiler K. A common form of injector is shown utilizing live steam taken through pipe 18 from the steam dome 19. a r

The controller E on the locomotive comprises, preferably, a valve casing 20 formed with a valve seat 21 and valve chamber 22 and with a valve seat 23' andcvalve chamber 24. The exhaust steam enters the housing between the valve seats 21 and 23 through a pipe 25 which is shown as connected with the air compressor F and by a branch pipe 26 with the valve chamber G of the locomotive cylinder. These connections are optional. The exhaust steam required for heating the feed water may be obtained from any suit able source. The pipe 15, referred to as extending to the injecting nozzle 14 in water tank D is connected with the housing 20 of controller E so as to be in communication with the valve chamber 22 above valve seat 21. 27 is a pipe leading from the valve chamber 24 below valve seat 23 to the duct or space leading from the cylinders of the locomotive to ts Smokestack 28 The controller E comprises a valve stem 29 on which are arranged a valve 30 to cooperate withseat 21 and a valve 31 to cooperate with seat 23, one of these valves being unseated when the other. valve is seated. The valve stem 29 has an extension 32 at its lower end adapted to be guided in a bonnet 33 at the lower endof the valve casing 2Q. The upper endof valve stem 29 extends into a cylinder 34 on the up'per'end of casing 20 and has secured'thereto a piston 35, a coiled spring 36 being preferably arranged between piston 35 and the lower head 37 of the cylinder. Connected with the upper orifice head 38 of the cylinder is an air line 39 which extends to the thermostatically actuated controlling device H on the water tank. 7 1 i r The positions of the parts of controller E in the absence of air pressure above piston 35 are shown in Fig. 2. In such case exhaust steam flows from pipe 25 through pipe 15 to 40 is an aperturedhousing whichextends into the hot water compartment D through the top wall 41 thereof, the housing being arranged preferably above the hot water outlet 16. In the bottom of housing 40 is a thermostatic element L consisting preferably of a flexible diaphragm or capsule constructed as shown in Fig. 5 which illustrates the capsule iii-its heat- I ed and expanded form; The device com: prises lower'and upper flexible plates 42, 43, the meeting edges of which are headed as indi-' cated at 44 and soldered as shown 45. Riveted to the lower plate or disk 42 is a head45 provided with a web 46 which extends through an aperture in the bottom plate 47 of housing 40 (Fig. 4). A head48 is riveted and soldered to the upper disk 43 which has a filling opening aligning with a corresponding opening in. the head 48, the filling opening being closed after the expansible fluid has been introduced into the capsule, preferably by ascrew 49' and by solder 50 which fills the recess in which the screw head is seated. 51 is a guiding member held in place in the same recess by the body of solder 50. Preferably, the expansible fluid is introduced. into the capsule while the latter is cooled by partial immersion in water, and the air in the capsule, which is only partially filled by the expansible fluid, is exhausted toa considerable extent so that at relatively low temperatures the capsule is collapsed as shown .in Fig. 4. A certain amount of air is allowed to remain in the capsule which on being heated expands and reinforces the expansion caused by the vaporization of the fluid so that the range of movement of the upper head is considerable. V Y Seated on the upper head of the capsule is a tubular member 52 in which the guide member 51 is guided. Into the upper end of the tubular member 52 projects a boss 53 on the end of a rod 54'which extends through a gland 55 threaded into the top member 56 of housing 40, rod 54 being formed with a collar 57 which bears against the upper edge of the tubular member 52. The rod 54 is guided in agland58 secured within a tubular member 59through which extends the stem- '60 having a limit stop 61 adapted to cooperate with a seat 62, formed within a chamber 63 with which communicates the air pipe 39 described above as extending to the air cylinder of controller E. Arranged above'the casing which provides chamber 63 is a valve casing 64 communicating with chamber 63 through Obviously other motive fluid than air might be employed for actuating controller E. e

The exhaust steam nozzle 14 is hinged or swivelled to the lower end ofa U-bend 74.

on a vertical leg extension of the exhaust steam line 15. The discharge end of nozzle 14.- is provided with a float 76 the function of which is to maintain the discharge end of the nozzle at a constant distance below the water level in the compartment D, whatever that level may be.

Summary of operation; Exhaust steam enters controller E through pipe 25 from the air compressor F or engine cylinders or both (Fig. 2) and flows through the pipe 15, 75, 74, 14 into the hot water compartment D of the water tank at a depth, for example, of eight or ten inches below the water level, so that an effective circulation and relatively uniform temperature is maintained throughout the tank and so that, regardless of the water level the introduction of the exhaust steam will take place at a minimum engine back pressure. This arrangement also prevents drawing of water into the engine cylinders when the locomotive is drifting. The loop 74 at the upper end of leg 75 is positioned sufiiciently high above the water level in the tank to prevent syphoning of the water through this steam feed pipe. The hot water leaves compartment D through pipe 17 and is injected into the boiler by the injecting device J or other equivalent apparatus. When the water in compartment D has been heated sufficiently to expand the thermostat L valve 67 is unseated and air under pressure passes from pipe 73 to pipe 39 and thence to the air cylinder at the upper end of the controller E, depressing the piston 35 and seating valve 30 while unseating valve 31 as shown in Fig. 3. Exhaust steam is now cut off from the hot water tank and a vent is opened through pipe 27 to the locomotive smokestack so that if the feed water heating apparatus is being supplied with exhaust steam from the compressor F, or source other than the engine cylinders,

a discharge duct will be provided for such,

exhaust steam. Inasmuch as the steam introduced into the water tank D will be condensed by contact with the water in the tank, there will be a reduction of pressure or partial vacuum in the tank D which will tend Stem 60 has an extension to draw exhaust "steamlthrough pipe=26 frofn the valve chamber G when the valves 30,31

are in the positions shown in Fig. 2'and also from thecompressor F or other source-of exhaust'steam'. w a 5 Since partition 10 separating water com partment D from thecold water compartment C extendsintowell l lfbeneath the hottoms of the respective compartments, the

tank or compartment B may'become com+ pletely filled with heated water and this hot 7 Water can be withdrawn throughpipe 17 before a flow of hotfwater, is :set up under partition 10 into the cold water; compartment C. If. the partitionil O terminated above the bottoms of tanks Dqan dC, it. woul'd'be necessary to heat all of the water in tankG before the hot water would extend down to the outlet pipe 17 in tank D. It will also be noted that the thermostat L is positioned directly'above the outlet pipe 1 7 so that the temperature "of the water firstto be withdrawn from' tank D governs the control of thesteam supply.

lIn the apparatus as shown and described the, exhaust steam is brought into direct contact with the water in tank -D which results in high efficiency and conserves water. I i It will be understood that this invention is susceptible of embodiment in various dif,

ferent. forms of apparatus. l The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment which, however, is susceptible ofmodificationin certain respects as will be readily understood. Therefore the intention is to cover all variations and modifications within the scopeofthe appended claims. Iclaimz. v i

1. In combination with a locomotive boiler and feed water tank, a partition dividing the tank into cold and hot water compartments which communicate below the bottom of the said partition, there being a well extending below the bottom of the compartments into which the partition projects, means for introducing exhaust steam into the hot water compartment at a constant distance below' the surface of the water in the tank, means for withdrawing water from the hot water compartment and introducing the same into the boiler, a thermostat arranged in the hot water compartment near the water outlet and mechanism actuated thereby for controlling the flow of exhaust steam to said hot water compartment. i

2. In combination with the boiler and the water tank of a locomotive; means for dividing said water tank into communicating cold and hot water compartments comprising a partition extending downwardly from the top of the tank and a well extending below the bottom of the tank into which said partition projects; a hot water pipe leading from the hot'water compartment to the boiler; an

exhaust steam pipe leading to and through H and projecting at its lower edge into a well the hot water compartment and to a substantial distance above the tank and then looped downwardly-into the tank, afloat-supported nozzle connected with the steam pipe to discharge the steam at a fixed distance below the. water-levelin the tank, an exhaust steam controller forcontrollin g admission of steam tothe exhaust steam pipe and comprising a pressure fluid actuated motor; and'a controller for controlling the application of motive fluid to said motor comprising a thermostat in said hot water compartment near the Water outlet thereof.

- 3.1m combination with a locomotive and its' tender; a water tank on said tender comprising cold and hot water compartments f communicating with each other at the bottom, a partition separating the compartments which extendsbelow the bottom of the tank,

a pipe leading from the hot water compart-I ment' to the locomotive boiler comprising means for injecting water into the boiler; an

exhauststeam controller on the locomotive comprlsmg a pressure fluid actuatedmotor;

an exhaust steam pipe leading from the controller to the hot water compartment of the I watertank; means for discharging steam from said exhaust steam pipe into the hot' water-compartment at a constant distance I below'the surface of the water in the tank, a vent pipeleading from the controller to the locomotive smokestack which is opened when the exhaust steam pipe to the water tank is closed; and a controller on the tender comprising an actuating thermostat positioned in said hot water compartment adjacent the outlet pipe for controlling the application of pressure fluid to said motor.

, AL ER PARKS; 

